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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2015
Vol. 3 Edition 42
Is C-K broken?
By Jim Blake jim@chathamvoice.com
An overwhelming vote against changing municipal ward boundaries is symptomatic of protectionism that veteran Councilor Doug Sulman says has him ready to give up on amalgamation. “Maybe we just need to admit it’s not going to work,” he said after council last week rejected an opportunity to re-draw ward boundaries to reflect what he calls the “reality that exists.” “It’s a prime example of council members being more interested in protecting their political turf than doing what’s right for Chatham-Kent as a community.” In three separate votes, the final by a 14-3 count, council rejected motions to move developed fringe areas surrounding Wallaceburg and Chatham into those wards. Sulman said he’s fed up with what he called a “zombie” council that won’t think progressively. He said the lines drawn between representatives of the former City of Chatham and Kent County municipalities continue to impede progress. “Before amalgamation,
we argued about providing water to rural areas and property assessment,” he said. “Now, it’s like every ward is determined to get its perceived share of everything regardless of how it effects the municipality as a whole.” He said the perception that Chatham has the power at council is creating a hostile environment across the community. “When it comes to votes, Chatham can get outvoted every time but if we build a facility to serve the greatest percentage of population, then every single ward has to get something because Chatham got it.” Sulman said given the financial strain on the municipality, not every community should get funding for arenas, tracks, splash pads or other amenities. When one home assessed at $150,000 in Chatham is paying more property tax than 200 acres of farmland, Sulman said it points out who’s paying the bulk of the municipal budget. “Councillors are afraid to go back to their wards without getting a piece of the pie and it will eventually kill us financially,” he
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said. “Someone has to have the courage to take an unpopular stance.” He said he’s considering entering a motion asking the province to step in but would prefer to see a local solution. Sulman, who has served as a Chatham council member since the mid 1980s, says he agrees with Western Ontario University political science professor Andrew Sancton who earlier this year suggested a review be undertaken. In April, Counc. Derek Robertson failed to gain support for a motion to have a third-party review of the issue and still believes it’s necessary. “We have too many councillors, the system was broken and remains broken,” he said. “I couldn’t support the motions last meeting because it didn’t fix the issue.” Robertson said, “we as councillors will never get out of our own way on this. We fail in every regard. It’s absurd that we continue to have these little fiefdoms but we don’t have the balls to go to the OMB (Ontario Municipal Board).” Continued on page 2
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Enjoying Malloween
Bruce Corcoran/The Chatham Voice
Jaxon McCallum, 6, and Avery St. Pierre, 4, take part in Saturday’s Malloween fun at Downtown Chatham Centre, while Little Red Riding Hood – mother Kim McCallum, keeps watch. Hundreds of children took advantage of the warm, dry conditions for some safe and fun trick or treating.
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